


The New Guy

by nanuk_dain



Series: Drift Compatible [3]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Herc at the Jaeger academy, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Pre-Slash, Team Hot Dads, curious Tamsin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 10:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2464874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tamsin can't help thinking that there's more to the new guy than ginger hair and a great smile. Stacker's reaction to him leaves no doubt about that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The New Guy

**Author's Note:**

> The series is growing and growing... I have some 19.000 words in some 16 parts now, 7 of which are done. I expect more ideas to come, so _you_ can expect more fics to come. My Muse shows no signs of slowing down... I hope you like the results - and lookie lookie, I have a new header for the series! ^^

_Jaeger Academy, Kodiak Island, Alaska, July 2015_

 

“Hey, Stacks!” Tamsin spots the tall figure of her co-pilot in the hallway and shouts to make him stop. He turns around just as she and the new guy reach him.

“We got fresh blood in the programme.” Tamsin says and gestures at the new guy next to her. “This is-”

“- Hercules Hansen, RAAF pilot from Sydney.” Stacker cuts her off and finishes her sentence with pretty much the same words she would have used. 

Tamsin is confused, not only because Stacks knows the new guy's name, but also by the huge smile – a real, honestly pleased smile – that spreads over his face. She looks from one to the other. “You know each other?”

Before she has even finished her question, Stacks and the new guy are wrapped in a bear hug, and she hears Stacks say: “It's so good to see you, Herc.”

The new guy chuckles and pats Stacks on the back. “You too, mate. I never expected we'd end up serving together.”

“Me neither.” Stacks replies before he lets go and they step apart. Tamsin is just staring at them. This is the most openly affectionate she has ever seen Stacks with anybody other than her and Luna. This guy means something to him.

“So I take it you _do_ know each other.” Tamsin remarks with a raised eyebrow. She can't help it, she just has to tease them.

“We served together in Afghanistan.” the new guy – Herc – explains with a shrug. “Long time ago.”

"It's hard to imagine nowadays that people bashed their heads in for stuff like borders or religion." Tamsin says with a slow shake of her head. "We have bigger problems now."

"Quite literally." Herc remarks dryly and Tamsin has to laugh. Oh yeah, she knew this guy would be fun the moment she saw him among the new arrivals. 

"And you're going to become a Jaeger pilot so that you're at eye level with the problem." Tamsin chuckles. 

"Exactly. First class of the newly established academy, I was told." He smirks. "So I guess we'll be the guinea pigs."

"Who's training to be your co-pilot?" Stacker asks curiously - and that gets Tamsin's attention, because Stacks is never openly curious in public. She knows him well enough to be able to tell when he is, but right now that's not even necessary, he's not bothering to hide it around the new guy. Now that's interesting.

"Scott, my younger brother." Herc shrugs. "We signed in after... after Scissure."

"I'm sorry about your wife." Stacker says very quietly, and the gaze that passes between them tells Tamsin that there's a whole story behind it that she isn't privy to.

The new guy's mouth turns down and a shadow passes over his face before he nods. "Thanks, Stacks."

Tamsin raises one eyebrow in astonishment. She knows the reputation her co-pilot has - cold, fierce, no-nonsense, strict, disciplined, reserved, keeps to himself. Not somebody you would refer to by his first name - he never offers, either - and certainly you wouldn't dare to use this affectionate nickname without the fear of being crushed like an ant. Tamsin knows she's the only one to get away with it, and she has the bonus of having grown up with Stacker, he's practically her brother. That the new guy uses his nickname without even the slightest sign of discomfort tells her more than a thousand words could have. 

That Stacker doesn't oppose to it tells her even more.

"How's your little boy?" Stacker asks and looks sincerely interested. 

Tamsin smirks at the long-suffering sigh Herc seems to be unable to suppress. "Not so little anymore. He's quite a handfull, and hellbent on becoming a Jaeger pilot. Spends more of his time studying Jaegers than he probably should."

"How old is he?" Tamsin asks, because suddenly she remembers that a few years ago, Stacker mentioned meeting a fellow pilot - who had a young son back home - while he was stationed in Afghanistan. This must be him. Wow, Stacks really knows how to hold on to a crush.

"Chuck's twelve now."

Tamsin whistles. "Ow, that's a rough age."

"Tell me about it." Herc gives her a wry grin. "You'll probably run into him at some point - if it's gawky ginger teenager, then it's Chuck."

Tamsin laughs. "My, you should have seen Stacks at that age. Like an awkward puppy - all legs and arms but nothing quite in the right proportions."

Herc grins at her conspiratorially. "I hope you have pictures you can show me."

"Oh yes, I certainly do." Tamsin returns the grin, totally ignoring Stacker's indignant face, and hooks her arm into Herc. "We gingers must stick together, after all."

"You're not a natural redhead, Tam." Stacker says in a feeble attempt to break up the alliance he can feel forming.

"Doesn't matter, mate." Herc replies and winks at her. "Red is red."

Tamsin throws Stacks a triumphant grin, then she turns to Herc. "Come to lunch with us. We're on our break now, anyway."

"Sure, thanks. I don't even know where the mess hall is, we literally just arrived."

"Let us show you, then." Stacks gives him a little smile and then the three of them head off to the mess. Herc walks between them, immediately falling in step with Stacker. In _perfect_ step, mind you. Tamsin has been in the military too long _not_ to notice. 

Lunch is a relaxed affair. Tamsin jokes with Herc and enjoys the comfortable atmosphere. She decides that she really likes him. He's good people, his heart is in the right spot, and he makes Stacker smile more often than anybody else she knows. She watches them unobtrusively during the meal. She will have to grill Stacks when they get back to their quarters. She wants to know everything about the guy that can make Stacks laugh.

After lunch Tamsin and Stacker have drift simulation and Herc has to get to the introduction meeting. They leave the mess together and Tamsin and Stacker bring Herc to the kwoon. They chat while walking there, and Tamsin notices that - again - Stacker and Herc match each other perfectly. They're awfully in sync, those two. Tamsin has observed them for just a few hours, and she's already certain that they're drift compatible. She will definitely trick them into a match in the kwoon at some point to find out if her assumption is correct. 

She really wants to ask Stacks a thousand questions about Herc, but it's evening before she gets the chance. Caitlin Lightcap keeps them busy with some Jaeger tests all afternoon, and during dinner they sit with some other pilots, so there's no chance to talk unobserved. 

Tamsin sees the perfect moment coming when they return to the quarters they share - all co-pilots share - and as if Stacker has expected it, he heads over to the bathroom straight away. He leaves the door open, however, and Tamsin won't be derailed by his half-hearted attempt to escape.

"Sooooo..." Tamsin draws the word out while she settles on Stacker's bunk, strips off her boots and fold her legs under her. "Now tell me exactly what I'm missing here with you and the new guy."

"There's nothing to miss." Stacker has the nerve to reply, all calm and serene, but Tamsin knows him too long, too well, to not see through his façade.

"You could have fooled me." she snorts. "Now spill."

"Really, Tam, there's nothing to tell. I first met him in Afghanistan when we were active pilots, we trained together for three weeks. That's it." Stacks has still not turned towards her, his hands busy in the sink.

"What about his wife. There's more to it, I can tell." Tamsin's not willing to give up that easily. She watches as Stacker turns off the tab and straightens.

"I was the one to tell him that his wife had been killed by Scissure." Stacker finally turns around, and there is a sad, serious expression on his face. "It's not my place to say any more. Some things should never leave the room they happened in."

Maybe it is his voice, maybe it is something in his eyes, but Tamsin suddenly gets is. She remembers when she had told Stacks about Luna, over the phone and with an ocean between them, yet she had known exactly what was going on. They had both broken down during the call, had cried tears over the loss of one of the most important people in their life. They had understood each other, and it was a kind of comfort Tamsin knows neither of them could have got from anybody else. 

Herc must have felt the same way when he'd learned that is wife had been killed. Stacker had been there, and Tamsin is not going to ask about it. She understands and respects Herc's grief too much to do that.

"I get it." she says with a nod and a tiny uplift of the corner of her mouth.

Stacker holds her gaze and she can read in his eyes how much it means to him. "Thanks, Tam."

She gives him a minute, then she leans forwards to rest her elbows on her knees and focus him with a piercing gaze. There is a smirk on her lips. "That doesn't mean that I'm dropping the topic."

Stacker lets out a heartfelt sigh, slightly annoyed and mostly fond. "Tam!"

"He's special to you, I can tell." she goes on as if he didn't say a thing. "I know there has been nobody special for you... well, ever, actually. I don't mean somebody you're just fleetingly interested in, I mean _special_. Now I can't help wanting to know who the guy is who means so much to you. Make sure he's not going to break your heart."

Stacker stares at her, a mixture of resigned annoyance and astonished bewilderment on his face. It makes him look remarkably ridiculous, and Tamsin grins. She loves throwing him off the tracks. So very few people do that, so it's a pleasure every single time. Luna was great at it, too, and Tamsin learned from the best.

When Stacks has still not responded after a minute, looking like he can't for the life of him decide what to say, Tamsin decides to let him off the hook. "I like him. Just so you know, your choice has my blessing."

"What are you talking about?" Stacks frowns at her as if he really doesn't know what she's talking about. She's well aware he's only pretending, and that years of hers and Luna's company have trained him well in the high art of feigning ignorance concerning certain things.

"Come on, don't pretend. I know you like _like_ him." Tamsin can't resist wriggling her eyebrows while saying that, to make it every bit as cheesy as it sounds.

"You're being childish, Ms. Sevier." Stacker does his best to look deadly serious.

"And you're in love, Mr. Pentecost. With a hot ginger Ranger candidate from Australia." Tamsin retaliates.

"I'm not -" He begins to deny it, a reflex. He never liked talking about feelings.

"Spare yourself the embarrassment, Stacks. I'll know after tomorrow's drift anyway." she just remarks matter of fact.

He sighs. He knows it's true. "Okay, so maybe I am."

"Great. We're making progress." Tamsin stretches her legs out in front of her and pats the mattress next to her in invitation, never mind that it's actually Stacker's bunk. "What do you intend to do about it?"

"Nothing." Stacker says firmly while sitting down. He's not joking, she can tell.

"Nothing? Really?" Tamsin can hear the surprised disbelief in her own voice.

"He just recently lost his wife and he has a young son. Both of them mourn the loss of a loved one, and at the same time he's participating in one of the hardest programmes of the world to become a Ranger. I'm quite sure Herc has enough to deal with as it is." Stacker's voice is determined. "On top of that, he's a candidate and I'm an instructor."

"You're just helping out. It's not an official role."

"Still." Stacker looks at her pointedly. "I have... _liked_ him - as you put it - for a long time and it has not influenced my actions. That will not change now just because we happen to live in the same installation."

Tamsin is not so sure about that. She doesn't say a word, though, because she feels that this is something Stacks has to come to realise on his own. She knows him. He doesn't connect easily - but with Herc Hansen, he did, years ago. And it's still going strong. That is worth a lot in her book.

"Okay." she nods slowly and drops the topic for the time being. She knows when it's useless to continue trying. They go to bed soon afterwards, without saying another word about Herc Hansen, the hot ginger Ranger candidate from Australia. 

But in her mind, Tamsin is already making plans.


End file.
